Tag: Crimea

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UN RESOLUTION FALLOUT: PM Netanyahu Cancels Ukrainian PM’s Visit, Ukraine Responds

PM Netanyahu cancels the visit of the Ukrainian Prime Minister to Israel.  Kiev’s response; “The crisis in the Middle East is the deepest it has been throughout its history.”

Following the cancellation of the visit of Ukrainian Prime Minister, Volodymyr Groysman, to Israel, the Ukrainian delegation to the United Nations responded to their support of the United Nations resolution against settlements in the Security Council.

“Unprecedented settlement activities by Israel in the palestinian territories does not help to deal with violence.”

After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled on Saturday the visit of his Ukrainian counterpart following the state support for the UN resolution against settlements, a delegation of Ukraine to the United Nations issued a message explaining Kiev’s support for the resolution. “The search for a solution is now in the deepest crisis in history,” the statement read. “The lack of prospects for reviving the peace process between Israel and the palestinians has led to an escalation of the security situation in Israel and the West Bank on a daily basis. As a result, the unprecedented settlement activities of Israel in the palestinian territories does not help deal with the violence”, said the diplomats.

In their statement, the delegation noted that the decision that was finally approved was more lenient with Israel than the original resolution and included references to palestinian terror.

“The call to Israel to stop settlement activity as a prerequisite for resolving the conflict as part of a two-state solution is not new,” the statement said. “All parties call out for efforts to achieve peace and security in the Middle East.”

The delegation made a connection between the Russian occupation of Crimea and the Israeli occupation. For Ukraine, abstention or objection to the resolution calling for a cease of illegal actions in the territories that under international law are considered occupied territory, would be contrary to the struggle on the diplomatic front against the occupation of the Crimea and the Donetsk and Luhansk regions by Russia.

“These are political issues, about which positions cannot vary according to the political situation. There are national interests that do not often match the interests of our partners, especially Israel. Because of these interests, we cannot abstain or object,” it said.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Netanyahu issued a statement cancelling the visit of Prime Minister of Ukraine, Volodymyr Groysman to Israel, in protest against his country’s support for the draft resolution against settlements received on Friday by the UN Security Council. Groysman, who is the first Jewish Prime Minister of Ukraine elected last April, was to arrive in Israel on Wednesday.

Cancellation of the visit was one of a series of steps taken by the government following the adoption of resolution 2334 on Friday by the UN Security Council, with the support of all Council members. The United States abstained in the vote instead of vetoing the resolution.  The abstention by the Obama administration has set off a furor of reactions by Israel against all those who voted in favor of the resolution and the US.

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Ukraine Fires Missiles on Russian Border, Will Putin Respond?

Despite Russian threats, NATO backed Ukraine went ahead with missile tests near Russian controlled Crimea on Thursday and Friday.

“No one will stop us,” Western backed Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko tweeted. “We will be acting in the interests of the people of Ukraine!”

Although Ukraine insists that none of the missiles have landed within 30km of Russian controlled Crimea, Russia issued serious warnings to Ukraine before the missile test.

It was reported, “Unnamed sources in Ukraine have told local Ukrainian newspapers that they received a letter from Russia’s Defense Ministry effectively threatening Ukraine with a direct military response if Ukraine goes through with its planned missile test.”

With the Donbass reagion spiralling out of controll as Russian backed Ukrainians threaten an all out revolt against Kiev, Russian threats over the missile test put the ball back in Putin’s court.

With NATO pushing against Russia’s borders, it would seem unlikely that Putin will leave the latest provocation unanswered.  The only question is when and what exactly will be his response.

In the past Putin has opted for causing problems elsewhere in the globe such as Syria, but it seems more than likely that the focus in terms of a direct response will be the Donbass. In the coming days Russia will pour more weapons and support into the region in hopes the break away actually turns into a reality.

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War Drums: Russia Threatens Ukraine Over Provocations on the Crimean Border

It has been reported that Moscow directly threatened Ukraine with missile attacks if the Ukrainian government goes through with its planned missile test on the Crimean border. Unnamed sources in Ukraine have told local Ukrainian newspapers that they received a letter from Russia’s Defense Ministry effectively threatening Ukraine with a direct military response if Ukraine goes through with its planned missile test.

Ukraine has denied it plans on testing any missiles near Russia. However, Russia is clear that it stands ready to not only shoot down the missiles, but retaliate against Ukraine directly. When asked if Russia really will retaliate Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “The Kremlin would like Ukraine to refrain from violating international law and creating unsafe conditions for international flights over Russia.”

Is This For Real?

If the Russian aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia can be believed then yes, there is set to be a Ukrainian missile test after Dec. 1st. Rosaviatsia insists that Ukraine had unilaterally decided in violation of all international treaties to hold missile launches in Russia’s sovereign airspace near Crimea, in the area of civil and government planes’ routes, on December 1-2. If this goes through then expect Putin to finally go through with his plans to take a large chunk of eastern Ukraine as well as pick off targets with his S-300 and S-400 he placed there.

The Romney Factor

The assumption was that Donald Trump would be amicable to Russian interests. Yet, we see that his courtship of Mitt Romney and General Mattis means just the opposite.  Putin knows he may very well have been thrown off by betting on an easy relationship with the Donald.  He now seems to be on the move just in case he gets a far tougher hand than he thought after January 20th.

So, if the Ukrainians decide to go ahead with the test, buckle up, because Eastern Europe will be headed to war.

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WAR DRUMS: Putin Places 40,000 Troops on Ukrainian Border, As Obama Moves Nukes Closer

In a move that risks pushing the region into all out war, Rissian President Putin positions 40,000 troops and armored vehicles on the border with Ukraine. The US took staleite photos of the troop movemements, witnessing new staging grounds being created with an array of units including combat troops. tanks, and fighters being deployed.

Navy Captain Danny Hernandez told the Washington Free Beacon that the exercises were being closely monitored.

Hernandez said: “We are extremely concerned about the increasing tensions near the administrative boundary between Crimea and the rest of Ukraine.

Crimea is  a disputed Russian province who voted in 2014 to leave the Ukraine and join the Russian Federation as an autnomous district.

Why is Obama Moving Nukes Closer?

Multiple sources have shared that the US is moving its 50 nukes from Turkey to Romania. The reason for the move is do the deterorating relations between USA and Turkey.The fact that the move also coincides with Russian expansion both in the Middle East and Eastern Europe has not been lost on experts.  The question remains as to why Obama is doing this in such a fashion with the end result essentially handing the Middle East over to Putin?

The answer lies in how Obama and his administration has viewed the situation in the Middle East from the very beginning of his Presidency and that is an unwinnable theatre that is far best left to others.  The challenge is, “the others” Obama thought would take over was not Russia, but rather organic political and religious forces already on the ground.  It remains to be seen if and when Obama will put his foot down with Russia.  The assumption is that the real redline for Obama is Ukraine and Eastern Europe.

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WAR DRUMS: Russia Deploys Surface to Air Missiles in Crimea

Russia deployed its advanced S-400 anti-aircraft  missile system to Crimea as tensions rise in the border area with Ukraine. Reports have said at least two Russian have been killed near Ukraine increasing the likelihood of some sort of clash.

As the traditional Ukrainian government was forced from office by a Western backed coup in 2014, Crimea voted to separate from Ukraine and join the Russian Federation.  Putin has since militarily controlled the strategic peninsula.

With Russia seen as an emerging power both regionally and globally, NATO has gone to great lengths to reassure allies that it will defend them.  Despite assurances, each move Putin makes sows doubt in areas that belonged to the former Soviet Union.

Map of Crimea
Map of Crimea

Already in July NATO stated it was going to bolster its military presence in the Baltic and Eastern Poland. The challenge is that NATO risks pushing Russia to continuously strengthen its presence with manuevers in Eastern Europe.  Many observers feel that the West would achieve more by trying to lower the intensity instead of committing to more troops. So far this sort of advice has not been heeded.